The Land Use Department has been notified that Teton Capital Company, LLC, has withdrawn its applications for a 171-unit senior living community at 6 Commerce Drive.

In a letter sent May 2 from William Donohue Jr, managing partner of Teton, the company informed both the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Inland Wetlands Commission that it is withdrawing all applications before both bodies. It had four with P&Z and one with the Wetlands panel.

The letter indicates Teton has the intention to resubmit a new application or applications for the property. What those application(s) may entail is not stated in the letter.

Donahue wrote that Teton is looking to build “housing that allows seniors to downsize and live out their lives in the town they love.

“We look forward to resubmitting the applications and working with [the Planning & Zoning Commission] on ensuring Church Hill Farm at Deep Brook successfully achieves this worthy goal.”

The proposed development met with public opposition during a wetlands public hearing on April 12 and a P&Z public hearing on April 6. Residents expressed concerns on the effects of the development on Deep Brook, and the neighboring Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary, and some residents are inquiring if it is possible to keep the parcel as open space.

At the wetlands public hearing, Peter Olson, an attorney representing Teton, indicated that the plans for the property were being revised. The agenda of the April 20 P&Z meeting indicated that the hearings on Teton’s four applications had been delayed to the May 4 meeting.

Then on May 3 the public agenda was changed to note the applications had been withdrawn and the hearings would not be occurring. The meeting of May 4 was still on the calendar, with three items items on the agenda.

Land Use Director Rob Sibley said that in most cases, if the applicant comes back with a new application for a property, the town does not charge them a new application fee. Withdrawing and resubmitting an application allows an applicant “to start the clock again” as well as giving them a new fresh start in presenting their plan, instead of having multiple edits on the record in the new application.

“I think they felt it was in their best interests to regroup instead of keeping the hearing open,” said Sibley.

Sibley did not know the likelihood of whether Teton would resubmit; he said sometimes in situations like this applicants are never heard from again, and other times they do resubmit.

The old application and all materials related to it are still public record despite the fact the application has been withdrawn, according to Sibley.

“The public is welcome to come and see what the files contain,” Sibley said.

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Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.